Rosalinda Maria Ruiz
by kiwichookie
Summary: "You've noticed an awful lot about her." Peter, who now resemble something more akin to a beetroot than a boy, stammered, "Y- yes, well, she's quite pretty, isn't she?" Letting out a bark of laughter, Sirius clapped him on back, knocking the boy into the wall of the train. "Aye, Wormtail. That she is."
1. Returning Home

_September first has come again. _The thought entered her head accompanied by a rush of relief as Rosalinda Maria Ruiz sat in her compartment on the Hogwarts express, forehead leaning against the window pane as she watched her classmates bidding their adieus to their families. _First one here. Again._ Lifting a finger to rub a pattern onto the cool glass, her lips turned down. _There's no one saying goodbye to me. _

A banging startled her, interrupted her musings, and she turned to see Snape (_The Slimy Slytherin_)lugging his trunk down the empty corridor. He froze as his startled dark eyes met her light brown ones, and she nodded to him, taking in his appearance - complete with a blossoming black eye. Scowling, he nodded back, going on his way.

_The same as every year_. She and Snape never spoke, never even acknowledged each other outside of this moment, but for this brief second, when they were the only ones on the train, she could pretend that they had some sort of understanding.

A whistle blew, the sound making her whip her head back to her view of the platform. Parents, children, and siblings began wrapping up their goodbyes, and making their way to toward the train cars. _Finally_. The sooner she was at Hogwarts, the better.

"Rose!"

"Lily!" Moving to embrace her friend and fellow Gryffindor, Rose felt a rush of warmth and affection warming her. _I missed this._ It was her fifth year at Hogwarts, and it never failed to amaze her just how much she missed it. Trying to hold back a hiss as Lily's hand hit a bruise on her shoulder, she smiled - and if her eyes were a little bright when they pulled away, Lily didn't say anything.

She knew Lily had her suspicions about her homelife - one as bright as her didn't tend to miss much - but to her immense relief, the redhead never saw fit to mention it, only the occasional tightening of her eyes and lips when she looked at her hinting at any misgivings she might have.

"Look at you!" Lily exclaimed, holding her Spanish friend at arms length and giving her a thorough looking-over. "You look amazing!"

"Me?" Rose laughed, "Look at you!" It was true. Over the summer, the already pretty Lily Evans had become even lovelier. "You've grown at least three inches over the summer, I swear!" Tall and slender, the auburn-haired beauty threw back her head and laughed.

"Something like that!" Green eyes sparkling, she lifted her trunk. "Here, help me with this, will you?" As the two girls struggle to lift the heavy trunk up onto the rack above their heads, the door to the compartment slid open with a _schlik_ and the weight of the trunk suddenly became far easier to heft.

Whirling, one pair of green eyes and one pair light brown met the bespectacled hazel gaze of James Potter. Smiling uneasily and looking a little dazed, he shoved a hand through his already messy hair. "Hey, Lils."

His speaking broke the spell. Sparks lit Lily's eyes, a well-known danger sign, as she lifted her chin haughtily. "Potter."

"Wow, Potter, gotten taller, have you?" A new voice joined them as Charlotte squeezed past the messy-haired boy.

Stepping aside to let her trunk pass, James smiled in greeting. "Just a bit," he answered. _A bit? _Rose mused. _That's an understatement. _The Chaser, who had previously been roughly the girls' height, now towered over all of them. "Need a hand?" he asked, nodding toward Charlotte's trunk,

Lily's eyes flashed. "We don't need _your_ help, Potter," she informed him, disdain dripping from her tone. Though he tried to hide it, James' shoulders fell, and his smiled took on a slightly brittle edge.

"Actually," Charlotte's voice interrupted hesitantly, "I _could_ use the help."

Beaming down at the small slip of a girl, James gripped her trunk and easily swung it up onto the rack as Rose hid her smile. Another black-haired giant appeared, grabbing James' shoulder and sticking his head into the compartment. "Prongs, come on! All the good compartments will be gone!" Sirius Black blinked realizing who else exactly was in the room, then turned his dazzling smile on the girls. "Hey, Evans, Clayworth." And right as Lily began to open her mouth in outrage, he turned his attention back to his friend and dragged him out into the corridor.

"I cannot _believe_ them!" She seethed to Rose, throwing herself down onto a cushion. "They didn't even acknowledge you!"

Laughing lightly, Rose settle down across the redhead. "It's alright, Lily," she reassured her friend, "We all know James only has eyes for you."

"It's true," Charlotte agreed. "And, well. . . Sirius is. . ."

"Sirius?" Rose suggested, and Lily lifted her head to glare at her.

"That's no excuse!"

"It's okay, Lily, really," she tried to soothe her friend, her Spanish accent lilting her words. "I'm used to it.

A whistle blew, and the train began moving forward, jostling all three girls.

"It's not right!" Lily insisted. "Why shouldn't they? We've been going to school together for almost five years!"

_ Yes, but I'm not like you._ Rose sighed, wishing her friend would drop it. _I'm not beautiful, or spunky, or kind. I'm not tiny and delicate like Charlotte. I'm quiet, aloof, and standoffish. _Steeling herself, she attempted a change in subject. "How was your summer, Charlotte?"

"It was good! My family decided to go on vacation to France. You would not believe how beautiful Paris is!"

"City of romance," Rose teased.

"Do the men there live up to its name?" Lily asked with a grin.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Charlotte answered, "Oh, they _most certainly_ do." This statement was met by squeals and giggles all around. "Lils? How was yours?"

"It was great! You'll never guess what happened!"

"You met the Queen?"

"You decided to dye your hair black?

"You met the man of your dreams?

"Who met the man of their dreams? All three girls looked up.

"Louise!" Charlotte exclaimed.

Greeting her friends with a smile, Louise repeated her question."Who met the man of their dreams?"

"Nobody!" Lily responded. "I made prefect."

"Prefect?" Charlotte gasped.

"Of course you did!" Rose said. "It's not as if there's any Gryffindor candidates better than our Lily."

Louise frowned, confused. "But what does that have to do with men?" Her question caused them all to burst into laughter.

"Nevermind that! Where have you been?" Charlotte queried.

"Oh," the girl giggled, "I happened to run into Sirius. We were. . . erm. . . catching up."

"Catching up?!" Lily shrieked.

"That would be much more convincing if there wasn't a blush staining your cheeks right now," Rose observed.

"Well, one thing led to another, and you know. . ."

"Actually, I don't," she responded. _Snogging the hottest guy in school? Of course I don't know anything about that_.

"Well I do," Charlotte giggled, her hand covering her mouth as though she were embarrassed, "He is _quite_ a good kisser, isn't he?"

"And on that note," Rose drawled to Lily, "Shouldn't you be getting to the prefect's compartment?"

Looking at her watch, the redhead shrieked and sprang to her feet, stepping on the bench to open her trunk and yank out her uniform. "Mother of Merlin! I've got to get into my robes!"

Chuckling, Rose got to her feet as well. "Wait. I'll come along to get changed." Hanging behind for a second, she turned to look at the two girls still seated as they commiserated over the power of Sirius Black's kisses with a small smile, fondness warming her. _It's good to be back_. Feeling her gaze on them, they both looked up."If the trolley comes, get me a pumpkin pasty and a bit of pumpkin juice, will you?" The girls nodded their acquiescence as Lily, huffing in impatience, dragged her away.

"What is it with you and all things pumpkin?"

"What?" She laughed as they reached the bathroom, "It's my favorite. We don't have such things back in Spain." _How is it that I've been on the train for less than an hour and I'm already feeling happier? "_Do you know who else made prefect?"

"Not yet," her friend answered, stepping in the stall to change. "I suppose I'll find out once I get up there." She paused. "I've been meaning to ask you, are you feeling alright? You look a bit peaky."

"I'm fine." Rose answered, leaning against a sink to wait, "Just happy to be going back to Hogwarts." There was a tense, unhappy silence, and Rose was left to wonder, yet again, what exactly her friend knew about her life in Spain.

Lily stepped out of the stall, Hogwarts robes hastily on, prefect badge pinned firmly in place, a frown wrinkling her brow. "Will you be fine if I leave you here?"

"Of course, Lils, go on." Smiling, her friend gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and rushed back out into the train proper.

Locking the door behind her friend, she turned to examine her reflection. She might not be a great beauty, but there would be definite improvement once she put on her makeup. At least her father hadn't found her stash this year. The year he did, she had had to go bare-faced and wait until the first Hogsmeade weekend to replace her entire collection. If her friends ever had their suspicions as to why she arrived and left Hogwarts sans cosmetics, they had yet to comment. As always, she thanked her lucky stars that he had seen fit not to mark her face. _Good luck explaining that away_, she thought bitterly as she applied her foundation. She tried to move a little as possible, pain issuing from her torso with every movement. Out there, she would have to move as normal and pretend nothing was wrong, but in here, with no eyes but her own, she was free to let the stiffness and the soreness show. _I can brew some bruise paste once we get to the castle. _She was fairly good at Charms, decent at Transfiguration, but Potions - now _that_ was her subject. She could whip up a burn salve or a bruise paste better than even Madam Pompfrey. During the school semester, when money was needed, she even sold some of her own inventions - nothing medical, of course (no one would buy that when they could just get it from the hospital wing for free), but items such as a potion that made the drinker burp toads, talk in bubbles, or remove or temporarily dye hair were always popular sellers.

_There. Done. _Stepping back, she examined her reflection critically. She was no Lily or Charlotte or Louise, that was for sure, but she liked to think she had a certain. . . allure. Her skin, being from Spain, was naturally tan and brown even in the winter. Her hair, while not as red as Lily's or blonde as Charlotte's, was black as Potter's or Black's, fell almost to her waist in waves. Even her eyes, which she normally dubbed as Blah Brown looked pretty, now that she had enhanced them with makeup. _Too skinny by half, still. _Well, there was hardly anything to be done about _that_. She may have been born with the curves natural to most Spaniards, but there was no denying that a bit more meat on her bones would soften up her appearance.

_Time to stop putting off the inevitable_. Lifting her shirt, she hissed as she saw the bruise. _Surely it wasn't this bad before_?Her back was striped with bruises from where her father had taken a belt to her, but that in and of itself wasn't the problem. just above her hip, was a large round bruise, punctuated by a large, puffy cut. _It's getting infected_. Her father was fond of wearing steel-toed boots. _I don't think I know how to make a disinfecting potion_. Biting her lip in worry, she lowered her shirt and began to change into her school robes.

In the Marauder's compartment, Sirius was trying to cheer up a sad and dejected James, who realized that he wasn't doing too well in the "Lily department."

"Oy! Look, mate! There she goes now!" James whipped around, staring at her through the window of the closed door.

"She gets prettier every year," he remarked, morose. Nose to the glass, he stared at her as only a lovesick puppy could do. Remus, who had just returned from the prefect's meeting, was trading an amused glance with Sirius when James suddenly back from the window, looking alarmed.

"What is it?" Sirius asked. "It's your chance to watch her walk away without her hexing you, mate."

"Padfoot, her friend, the one with the Spanish accent," his frown deepened as his brain tried to supply a name, "Ruiz - she's limping."

Now, even Remus sat forward. "Rose?"

Sirius whirled, staring at his friend. "Rose?" he queried, "I didn't realize you were that close to her."

Remus frowned distractedly, waving a hand at Sirius in dismissal. "We were Potions partners second year. She's brilliant." He stood up. "Shove over, James, I want to see." Staring out the window only confirmed James' observation. "She really is limping."

Intrigued, Sirius stood up to look as well. "Huh."

"What?"

"She's got a great arse."

The boys all laughed, turning around to look again. "She does!" James remarked.

"I want to see!" Peter tried to peer around the much bigger boys to no avail. Mood broken, they all returned to their seats.

"I wonder what that's about."

"She's always like that at the beginning of the semester."

All three Marauders turned to stare at Peter, who flushed ruddily, not used to being the center of attention.

"What?" James' tone was low and dangerous, and Peter squeaked.

"W- well, that is, she's always stiff and sore and limping at the beginning of the semester. Usually she's better after the first week. I- I think she heals herself, because you can usually smell that she's been brewing on her clothes."

"And how did you come to notice this?"

Peter's ears began to turn red. "E- er, third year I accidentally walked into her, and she yelped and she looked like she was in pain. And every year she's on the train before all of us, and she's not wearing makeup, but she comes back and suddenly she is."

"You've noticed an awful lot about her."

Peter, who now resembled something more akin to a beetroot than a boy, stammered, "Y- yes, well, she's quite pretty, isn't she?"

Letting out a bark of laughter, Sirius clapped him on back, knocking the boy into the wall of the train. "Aye, Wormtail. That she is." And with that, Remus returned to his book with a chuckle, James resumed staring out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lily, and Sirius and Peter continued their game of Exploding Snap.


	2. Clandestine Meetings And Clues

The Marauders watched the sorting ceremony, although their minds all lie elsewhere - primarily, that is, on a certain curly-haired Spaniard and her mysterious injuries. The girl in question was watching the proceedings in a state of relaxed contentment, chin on hand, completely unaware that she had the attentions of the school's most popular boys.

Finally, the sorting ended, Dumbledore stood up, and silence fell. "I know that you are all very hungry," he said, blue eyes twinkling, "so I will keep this short. I would like to offer my congratulations to all those fifth year students who have now been made prefect." Beside her, Lily beamed with pride. "I offer my support to them, as they endeavor to keep the peace amongst their fellow students." Here he seemed to be looking straight at the Marauders, smiling in that gentle way of his. "Now, stuff yourselves."

A feast appeared on the tables, and the boys began wolfing their food with gusto. Rose reached for a goblet of pumpkin juice, then stopped with a hiss. _Damn. I need to make that bruise paste, pronto._

"You okay, Ruíz?" A pair of grey eyes watched her closely.

"Fine, Black. Just hit my elbow, is all." _He doesn't appear to be buying it._ Sirius _hmphed_, but otherwise seem too preoccupied with his food to press her further.

"So, Rose," Charlotte began, scooping mashed potatoes onto her plate "You never said what you did with your summer."

"Oh, not much," she replied easily, "I just went back to Spain, tried to pass the time. Pass the chicken, will you _mami_? How was France?"

"It was beautiful! We actually got to go see Beauxbatons," she gushed to her friend, passing her the chicken.

"Did you?" Rose replied lightly, though her body tensed. _This can't go anywhere good._

"It was amazing. I'm amazed you don't go there!"

Remus, who had been listening, cut in. "Why don't you go to Beauxbatons, Rose? Surely it's closer."

"_Sí, _yes. My father, though, he is very strict. He prefers the syllabi of Hogwarts."

Louise stopped to stare at her accented friend. "You know, I think that's the first time I've heard you mention your family."

Rose's lips pressed flattened as the pressed them together, picking at the food on her plate. "Well, there is not much to tell. It is just my father and I," she told them, avoiding their eyes as they studied her.

"Really? Just the two of you?"

"Yes."

"What happened to your -"

Lily interrupted immediately, a freezing look on her beautiful features. "Did you guys read the paper over the summer?"

Sirius, staring down at his plate, stabbed angrily at an asparagus stalk, not saying anything. With an an unreadable look at his suddenly sullen friend, James nodded, taking a swig from his goblet. "I did. The world's going to hell. All those muggle disappearances."

Lily shuddered. "It's absolutely wretched."

Louise lifted her chin, eyes cold. "Better to go missing than to be kept by those madmen. Did you hear about what they did to the town they held hostage?"

Rose shuddered. She had seen the report in question. The new uprising of dark wizards, most notable in their hatred of all things muggle and muggle-related, had been responsible for many a vanished muggle, muggle-born, or half-blood family. The whole business was horrifying, but even worse was when they had found a secluded town and laid claim to it.

For weeks they had ruled it, torturing and raping any man, woman, or child as it amused them. Anyone who had tried to resist or run away was killed immediately - and not with something as quick as the Killing Curse.

Charlotte stared down at her plate, looking a little green. "My uncle is one of the aurors who was called to the site. H- he said he'd never seen anything so awful, and he's been doing this for almost twenty years." She looked up at them. "They strung up a baby - a _baby_ \- and stuck candles in it, any place they could, like some sort of macabre chandelier."

Lily gasped, and besides her, Louise reached out to rub Charlotte's back soothingly. "What I don't understand is how they could do it!"

"They hate muggles," Remus put in quietly.

"I know that," Lily returned. "Everyone knows that. But if they hate muggles so much, are disgusted by them so much - how could they - " she swallowed roughly, steeling herself. "How could they. . . lay with one?"

"It's a myth they won't touch muggle women. Muggle women are beneath them. They can do whatever they want to them without judgement from their comrades. They think the same thing about half-bloods."

All heads whipped to stare at Rose. Sirius, who had finally looked up from his plate, stared at her in shock, before his mouth slowly closed, his eyes narrowing in contemplation.

The Spanish girl flushed. "_Perdón. _Excuse me. I am not feeling well. I'll see you guys in the tower." With that, she hurried away, and the spell broke.

The remaining fifth year Gryffindors stared at each other, bewildered.

"What the devil was that all about?" James asked. He threw a roll at Lily, and she turned around to glare at him. "Oi! Lily! What's wrong with your friend?"

"Not that it's any of your business, _Potter_," she snapped back, "but I honestly couldn't say." She solidly and resolutely turned to Louise and Charlotte, ignoring James Potter as emphatically as possible.

James turned to his friends. "Is that true, Padfoot?" he asked in a hushed voice. "Is she right?"

"She is, mate," he responded just as quietly, staring after her, grey eyes still narrowed in thought, "Though how she knows that, I'd be very interested in finding out."

*~O~*

_I really shouldn't have left like that_, Rose thought as she walked in the direction of Gryffindor tower, feeling a bit guilty. _You'd think after all these years I would be able to lie better. _

Footsteps echoed behind her in the empty hallway, and she whirled, coming face to face with Severus Snape. She noticed absently that his black eye was gone - he must have gotten one of the older students to heal it for him.

"Oh," she said softly, "It's you."

"Try not to sound too disappointed," he sneered, walking past her.

Rose watched him walk past her, biting her lip. _He's supposed to be a Potions genius. Better than me, even._ Decision made, she ran after him. "Snape! Wait!"

He turned back to her, black eyes widening slightly in surprise. "What?"

She fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well, I was wondering if perhaps I could ask you a favor."

He stood there, studying her for a moment as if trying to figure out what she could possibly want, when a roar of footsteps sounded a ways behind them, and Snape looked up sharply. "Not here." He grabbed her wrist and dragged her up a stairwell, down a corridor, and behind a tapestry, so that they were hidden from sight.

"I'm intrigued," he said softly, a sneer on his face, "What could a Gryffindor want with _me?"_

"I find myself in need of a disinfecting potion," she told him, eyes on the ground. "We have never covered it in class, and I need it sooner than it would take me to learn how to brew it myself."

Silence met her statement, and she looked up, absently noting that he, too, seemed to have grown over the summer, and stood tall and gaunt above her. "What for?"

She fidgeted, trying to decide if she should tell the truth or make something up. _What the hell. Might as well_. The irony that she would trust this boy, this near stranger, with the truth about her life when she couldn't dream of telling the people she actually counted as friends, all based off of some misguided sense of camaraderie caused by their obviously similar familial situations, was not lost on her. "Your word that you will keep this to yourself?"

"I am not the type to spread gossip, Ruíz," he snapped, crossing his arms. "Is that sufficient, or would you have me swear a wand oath as well?"

"You are a friend of Lily's, I know. That is good enough for me." She shifted uneasily. "I have a cut. It's infected."

"I surmised as much." His dark eyes were unreadable as they watched her, but surprisingly there was no judgement in them, only cool regard. "And you cannot go to the Hospital Wing _why?"_

"Madame Pomfrey would ask too many questions."

He watched her for a second, as if trying to come to a decision. Finally, he sighed and dropped his arms. "Let me see."

His request caught her off guard, and she stared at him, light brown eyes wide. "I beg your pardon?"

"I need to _see_ it," he snapped, limited supply of patience evidently already wearing thin. "So I can gauge the severity of the infection and adjust the strength of the potion accordingly."

"It- it's under my jumper," she told him uncertainly, the British word sounding odd coming out of her mouth.

"I figured as much, given that it's obviously hidden from plain view. Now hurry up, I need to get to my common room," he sneered. When she still hesitated, he softened a little. "Come on. At least it's not under your skirt."

Acquiescing, she removed her robe and turned her back to him, lifting her jumper and shirt.

A lesser man might have hissed at the sight of her bruised and battered torso, but not Snape. "Someone got you good," he murmured softly, and she jumped as she felt one of his hands lift to hold her shirt in place as the other carefully prodded the wound on her back.

"Yes," she agreed quietly, "Someone did." He released her and stepped back, and she hastily lowered her clothing and picked up her robe.

"I'll have it for you tomorrow," he told her, leaving before she could even thank him.

*~O~*

In the boy's dorm, the Marauders were busily unpacking for the term, when Sirius suddenly caught sight of something strange.

"Oy, Prongs! Come look at this!" Their infamous map was spread out on his bed, and he was staring at it in shock.

"What is it, mate?" he asked, sauntering over, before his eyes widened in surprise. "What the hell?"

Now Remus and Peter came to have a look, too.

"Is that - ?"

"Ruíz!"

"In the tapestry tunnel?"

"With Snape?"

James shoved a hand through his hair uneasily, hazel eyes wide behind his glasses. "What the hell would she be doing with him?"

"Maybe she's got a thing for slimy gits," Sirius snapped.

"I don't think so, Padfoot," Remus said gently. "I mean, have we ever even seem them speaking before? Or even acknowledging each other?"

"He's got a point, mate."

"She left the feast awfully quickly," he countered.

His friends didn't have a response for that.

"Come on, Pads," Peter said, laughing uncomfortably. "You saw what she's grown into over the summer! You really think she would be hiding in corners snogging _Snivellus?"_

"She knew a little too much about Death Eater habits for me not to wonder how she knows," he snapped back. "If she's running around cavorting with those types, we need to know it."

Remus sighed. "Oh, come off it, Sirius. Rose? A Death Eater wannabe? Don't you think that strains even a _little bit_ of credibility?"

Sirius, chin raised, met his friends gaze, refusing to back down. "In times like these, you can't trust anyone, mate. If she's meeting up with Snivellus, we need to know _why._"

Remus sighed. "I guess we'll find out when we see her, then. She's headed this way." The boys hurriedly finished their unpacking and made it downstairs to settle in the corner of the common room just in time for Rosalinda to come through the portrait door.

"She doesn't look like she's been snogged," Peter whispered to the group.

"No, she doesn't," James returned thoughtfully.

"Or just not snogged very well!" Sirius replied, making them all snicker.

*~O~*

_ What on earth are they all sniggering about? _"Erm, are you lot all right? she questioned, wide eyed.

"Fine, fine," Sirius replied, waving a hand in his lofty manner. "Are you alright, Ruíz? You left dinner fairly quickly."

"I'm fine," she responded warily. "I just wasn't feeling too well. I told you."

"You're not up the spout, are you?" Peter put in jokingly, his sense of humor and comedic timing, as always a little off and inappropriate. Fortunately, English not being her mother tongue, Rose didn't understand the idiom.

"Up the spout?" she asked, confused. "I'm sorry, I don't. . ."

"Never mind that," Sirius tossed an irritated glance in Peter's direction. "I hope you went down to the hospital wing!" he remarked, keeping his eyes wide, limpid, and innocent.

"Yes, I was. That's actually where I was coming from," she lied, trying to sound confident and nonchalant, and Sirius' grey eyes immediately narrowed - just a fraction, but enough for her to notice. _What do they know?_

"Were you, now? His tone was soft, dangerous.

"Yes, I was," she replied firmly. "Now, if you excuse me, I will be going upstairs to unpack and then to sleep. I'll see you gentlemen in the morning."

When she got up to her dorm, she saw that all the beds had already been claimed, leaving her one in between Lily and Louise - Charlotte, as per usual, had claimed the one closest to the window, and it was widely known that Louise wanted to be closest to the vanity, as she claimed the others "took too long", and she wanted to make it in first.

"Lily," she asked, making the redhead pause her refolding of her clothing and look up.

"Yes?"

"Peter asked me if I was 'up the spout'. I don't understand. What is 'up the spout'?"

Lily looked at her oddly and before giggling (her usual reaction when Rose didn't understand something). "Up the spout means pregnant, Rose."

"Pregnant?!" she exclaimed, a look of horror on her face. _Merlin. That boy has the strangest sense of humor._

"Yes, pregnant. Why on earth did he ask you that?"

"No reason." _Best to avoid that topic. I've been asked too many questions already._

The next morning came too early, and Rose groaned. It had been hard to sleep due to the pain that plagued her no matter how she lay, and as such she awoke stiff and grumpy. _Might as well go down to breakfast_. Yanking on her robes, she pondered her reflection in the vanity. _I'll just leave my hair as it is. I think makeup is as much as can be expected of me at this ungodly hour_.

She sat at the Gryffindor table in the mostly empty Great Hall, gulping down some orange juice and scarfing her eggs and sausage.

"Woah, woah, where's the fire, Ruiz?" a voice asked her laughingly. She looked up to see Sirius Black smiling down as he settled himself across from her, but the smile didn't seem to reach his eyes, leaving them cold and calculating.

_Act normal. Act normal._ "No fire, just hungry." _I even managed to swallow before answering_, she thought bitterly. _Father would be proud_. "Pass the bacon, please."

He complied. "Where are all your friends?"

"Still asleep, probably."

"Early riser, eh?"

"Oh, no," she laughed, trying to hide her unease. "Normally I'm dead to the world in the morning. I just couldn't sleep."

"That's odd. Why not?"

She shrugged, hoping he wouldn't notice she didn't answer his question. "What about you? Why are you up so early?"

"Easier to avoid the fanclub."

"Fanclub?"

"Yes. Fanclub." He stared at her, forkful of scrambled eggs halfway to his mouth. "You really haven't noticed? Gaggle of giggling idiots? Follow me around?"

She blushed slightly, "I had noticed, but I didn't think they were an official club."

He grimaced. "They are. Have a signup sheet and everything."

"_Mierda_."

He tilted his head, looking at her oddly, a smile playing on his lips. "Er. . . Right. I'll see you later, Sirius. I want to take the long way to class."

"What class do you have?"

"Care of Magical Creatures."

"Splendid! Me too! Wait for me, and we'll walk together."

"Oh, no, it's okay -"

"Now really," he said with mock solemnity, though the look in his grey eyes spoke only of danger, "What kind of housemate would I be if I let you go by yourself where some Slytherin might get you?"

Realizing the battle was lost, she sat back down. _Be cool, Rosalinda._ "Now, Black," she began, making sure to keep her voice light and teasing, "what would your fan club think?"

He snorted. "Who cares! The bunch of nutters."

He finished eating as more students began to trickle in and stood up, swinging his bag over his shoulder casually. As he draped a casual arm over her shoulders to guide her, she could feel the blatant stares (and glares) of many of the girls around them. Flushing, she hunched her shoulders uncomfortably, trying to dislodge his arm, and winced at the pain the movement caused. _Wow, he really has no concept of personal space, does he?_ The thought was quickly followed by another one - _Circe, he's warm._ She could feel heat seeping from his arm and side into her torso. _What is he, a furnace transfigured into a person?_

True to his word, he began guiding her the long way down to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. "Sirius," she said quietly, drawing his attention.

"Yes, love?"

"I- I know where we're going. You can move your arm."

He looked slightly disgruntled. "Oh. Apologies." Shoving his hands in his pockets, he winked at a passing blonde from Ravenclaw, who fled, giggling. "You know something I've noticed about you, Ruíz?" he asked, his voice quiet and suddenly serious.

She tripped over a rock suddenly, catching herself as he merely looked at her, making no move to steady or catch her. "Something other than my apparent inability to walk over flat surfaces?" she remarked lightly. _Just let us get down there and class get going._

"Yes, other than that," he laughed.

"Tell me, then," she replied.

He looked at her with the same slight smirk he always wore, but his grey eyes were watching her, gauging her carefully. "Your accent gets thicker when you're flustered."

_Someone thinks they're observant_. "It's possible. I know my English tends to slip when I am tired, for example."

They were getting close. "Like earlier, at breakfast? You said something in Spanish." _He says breakfast, but why do I get the impression he's talking about last night?_

"Yes, like this morning."

"What does it mean? What you said."

"'_Mierda'_?" She flushed a little. "It means 'shit'."

A laugh like a bark sprang out of him, startling her a bit. "Really? That's brilliant!"

"Excuse me?"

"I didn't know you swore at all, but all this time you've just been doing it in Spanish!" he laughed again. "Oh, that's just _too_ good. You have to teach me."

They were interrupted by Professor Kettleburn clapping his hands and telling them to group off. Smiling apologetically, he went off towards his Marauders.

*~O~*

"That's new," Remus murmured to James, watching Sirius as he parted ways with Rose.

"Working on a new one?" James asked Sirius as he neared, leering goofily.

"Oh, _Merlin no, _mate!" he said, giving him a playful shove. "I saw her at breakfast and decided to walk her down, that's all."

"Oh, is _that_ what happened?" Remus laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, Padfoot. Just that she looks dead chuffed to have been subjected to your company." The boys all turned to stare at her. Sure enough, there was a slight frown and a distinctly uncomfortable expression on her face as she made her way toward her friends. Louise, catching Sirius staring in her direction, smiled prettily and twiddled her fingers in his direction, and he blew her a kiss back.

His friends rolled their eyes and returned to the tasks set upon them by Kettleburn, but as he turned back around, James froze suddenly and grabbed his arm. "Snivellus just threw Ruiz a note," he hissed.

Sirius whirled, eyes narrowing. She had taken advantage of the opportunity of her groupmates being distracted to open the note. It must have been short, for she only studied it for a second before crumpling it and shoving it in her pocket. They watched as she slowly and deliberately looked over, made eye contact with Snape, and gave a short nod.

"Did you see that?" Sirius hissed to James.

"I did, Pads. What the bloody hell is that all about?"

"I have no idea," he said, a hint of menace in his tone, "but we're going to find out."

Remus, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. "Come on, you two. Why do you even care what she's doing with Snape?"

The two boys stared at him, aghast. "It's Snape!" Sirius exclaimed.

"So? Lily's friends with him and you don't give a toss."

"We do too!" James protested.

"We just know better than to question it by now, even if it probably means she's mental, especially as James wants to take her to Hogsmeade by Christmas," Sirius said, "And she isn't snogging him, or meeting up for some Dark Arts Mutual Admiration Society."

James looked horrified and slightly nauseated at the idea, which he had clearly never considered before. "Merlin, you don't think she's - "

"You don't know that she _is_ snogging him!" Remus snapped at his friend, ignoring James' outburst and the more ridiculous half of Sirius' statement.

"They were in the tapestry tunnel, Moony! We all know what people do in the tapestry tunnel!"

"Which 'she' is it that we're talking about, gents, I'm starting to get a little confused," James put in.

"And how do you know that?" Remus snapped to Sirius.

"Because that's what _I_ go there to do!"

"What do you care who she's snogging anyway?"

"Gents - "

Sirius looked at him as if he had suddenly sprouted another head. "It's _Snivellus._ She's a Gryffindor. It would be completely and utterly wrong."

Exasperated, Remus threw his hands up in defeat. "I give up."

"Gents, you weren't talking about my Lilyflower, right?"

Remus, Sirius, and Peter all looked at each other and broke out guffawing.

*~O~*

A bit away, Charlotte looked to Louise. "What do you suppose they're laughing about?"

"I have no idea," the brunette shrugged. "Probably don't want to know."

"True enough," the shorter girl laughed.

Class was dismissed, and Rose headed back toward the castle with her friends. Distracted, she put her hand in her pocket as she bit her lip, fingering the note once more. It was terribly unlike her to have clandestine meetings - _in a lavatory, no less! - _but she supposed that under the circumstances it couldn't be helped. _Second floor girl's lavatory. Before dinner._

*~O~*

The Marauders, now well and truly intrigued, continued to watch her throughout the day whenever they had classes together, going so far as to make sure they were seated behind her in Potions, the last class of the day. Rosalinda, for her part, did not seem to notice, given her apparent distraction - another thing that was a mark against her, Sirius claimed.

"Look at her! She's been distracted all day," he hissed to James, who was at the same workbench as he. "I'm telling you, mate, she's up to something. I know how girls get, and to me she looks like a girl anticipating a late-night rendezvous for an all night snog-a-thon."

Remus, at the desk behind them with Peter, shook his head bemusedly. "You guys are nutters."

So caught up were they in their contemplations, that it turned out to be Peter who discovered the next clue to their puzzle.

"She's just put an ingredient in her pocket!"

The boys turned, staring openly, before Remus clipped both Sirius and James on the head. When they whirled on him, mouths agape in outrage, he merely looked at them and hissed, "Discreetly, gents." As stealthily as a group of teenaged boys could, they watched her. The raven-haired girl appeared to be casually looking through the student stores of ingredients, but every now and then she would glance around to check if anyone was looking, and slip a vial into the pockets of her robe. Finally, she stuck her hands in her pockets, presumably to stop the glass vials from clinking, and strolled back to her seat.

James blinked. "You know, she's actually rather. . . good at that."

"She is, isn't she?" Remus said,

"So the quiet, mousy Rosalinda Ruíz has secret talents in burglary. Who knew?" Sirius murmured rhetorically. As much as he tossed around the idea that she was shagging Snape, to him that option (surprisingly) was preferable to someone he knew being involved in the Dark Arts. Questionable taste in men was one thing, but he had enough of that at home. _Stealing Potion's ingredients? _That, however, seemed to put the nature of her involvement strictly in the latter category. _What could she be brewing, besides trouble? _He did know one thing, though. If one of his own house was involved in such matters, he would end her.

The bell rang, and she scurried out of the class before anyone had time to react. Evidently she had already cleaned her station.

*~O~*

_ Bathroom, bathroom._ _Second floor_. Her legs burned from climbing the stairs so quickly, but she was determined to make it during the thick of the student traffic, when she would be paid less attention to. _Made it_. No one would disturb her here, she knew - the ever-present Moaning Myrtle made certain of that. Huffing in relief, she took a shrunk cauldron out of her bag and resized it. _Once again, prior planning pays off. _Setting out her stolen ingredients, she spun around, wand out and at the ready.

"It's just me," Severus said, edging into the bathroom.

"Did you bring it?" she asked breathlessly, still a little winded from her sprint up the stairs.

He pulled a vial out of his pocket and held it aloft, so that she could clearly see the contents.

She sighed in relief, stretching out a hand to take it, and he suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Thank you."

He didn't let go. "You owe me," he told her, voice quiet but strong.

_ Well, I should have expected that, especially from a Slytherin,_ she thought uncharitably. "I owe you," she agreed quietly.

Still, he hesitated."What?" she snapped, starting to become aggravated. The open wound _hurt_, and this boy was dilly dallying and delaying her relief.

"The spot. . . It's on your back. . ." It was the first time she had actually seen him look awkward or uncomfortable - or anything other than mean and vicious, come to think of it.

"Yes, so?"

"Are you sure you'll be able to reach it?"

She stared at him. Surely he wasn't offering -

"Because I don't want to have to brew another batch of this stuff for you just because you didn't get it all the first time!" he told her gruffly.

She mentally rolled her eyes. Just like a Slytherin, to do something kind and cover it up by saying something rude. "Fine." _Well, it's not like he didn't see this just yesterday_. _Funny. If anyone told me a week ago that I would half-way disrobe twice in two days for Severus Snape, I would have sent them straight to Madame Pompfrey. _Turning, she lifted her shirt again, flinching slightly as his hands came into contact with her skin as he applied the thick salve to the cut.

"You didn't have to say yes," he snapped at her defensively.

"Your hands are just cold," she told him quietly.

He paused, staring at her oddly, and she felt the salve start to grow warm and sink into her skin. He stepped back, wiping his hands on his robes. "Done. It's working." He gestured to the mirror. "Go ahead."

Stepping across him to look, she gasped in surprise, and saw his reflection smirk as something akin to pride flickered across his feature. The wound was not only pus-free and no longer puffy, but was closing before her eyes.

"You're very good," she told him, lowering her shirt. "Thanks."

He shrugged awkwardly, dismissing her, and looked over to her facsimile of a potions lab. Studying the ingredients, he guessed, "Bruise salve?"

Hugging herself defensively, she nodded wordlessly. _He already knows too much._

"For the rest of your back?"

She nodded again.

"Good." And with that, he left, leaving her to her brewing. _After I finish the mixing, it still has to mature for a day, but that's better than nothing_.

*~O~*

Several levels higher in the castle, four pairs of eyes glared at two tiny dots on a map.

"They left separately," Remus noted absently, "They weren't there for very long."

"Could have been a short snog," Sirius snapped. _Or a short meeting._

"I doubt it was a snog at all, Padfoot. Come on. It's Snivellus."

When Sirius didn't respond, Remus rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Where are you going?" James asked.

"To do the sensible thing. Get up." Three heads popped up to look at him.

"They're both gone, right?" he asked, gesturing to the map. "We can look for clues. And if all else fails, that's Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. We'll ask her."


	3. Discovered Secrets

"Ow!"

"What?"

"You stepped on my foot!"

"Shush you two, you'll get us caught!"

"Blame Peter," Sirius grumbled, "He's the one who stepped on my foot."

"I can't see you, Sirius, you're disillusioned."

"Well, we don't all fit under Prongs' cloak anymore, do we?" he snapped back.

"Shut up!" Remus snapped, "We're almost there and you lot are going to get us caught!"

Considering their lack of stealth, it was a miracle indeed that the four marauders made it down the the second floor girl's lavatory without being discovered. With a flourish, James removed his invisibility cloak, and the other three Gryffindors removed their disillusion charms. Stepping further into the room so as to avoid being seen by the casual passerby, it became immediately obvious that their biggest clue to the secrets of one Rosalinda Ruiz lay tucked away in the corner.

"Is that a brewing station?" Peter asked.

"Looks like it to me, mate," Sirius replied, a sense of disease growing in his gut.

A giggle disturbed the silence. "Oooh, I knew it wouldn't be too long before she got caught!" Moaning Myrtle's hazy form floated over a stall, drifting down to land in front of Sirius, whose expression turned immediately thunderous at her words. "All that cavorting with rude little boys," she said, blowing Sirius a kiss, "It's a wonder she hasn't been caught before!

"Myrtle, what do you mean, cavorting?"

She poked James in the chest, one icy finger going through his heart. "Why don't you ask her who she's been lifting up her shirt for?" She cackled.

"_What?" _Sirius yelped.

"Oh, yes," she said, a maniacal grin on her transparent face, "got quite the strange choice of friends, does your Gryffindor."

"I knew it!" Sirius snapped."Lifting her shirt! The slag!" _But how does that go with the brewing? One does not seem to go with the other. Unless she really _is _ a Death Eater groupie. _He tried to dismiss the thought. He may not know her well, but surely the girl wasn't that deranged? She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders.

"Sirius!" Remus snapped. "I daresay you're not in a position to insult girls lifting their shirts, considering the sheer quantity of girls who do so for _you. _Besides," he turned back to the young ghost, "Myrtle, you said strange choice of _friends_. Friends?"

"Yes. . ." she pouted and crossed her arms, her attempt at causing mischief coming up short.

"Did they do anything. . . inappropriate?"

Hey eyes rolled skyward as she pretended to think. "I suppose that depends on your definition."

"How on earth could she be taking of her clothes for that slimy git and that _not_ count as inappropriate?" Sirius snapped at Remus, frowning.

"Just wait a second, Sirius. I've got a theory." Frowning in contemplation, he asked Myrtle, "Did they kiss?"

She pouted further. "No."

Crossing the tiled floor, Remus knelt by the cauldron to examine the contents. "These ingredients. . . I think she's brewing a bruise paste."

"Bruise paste?" James asked. "Blimey mate, what would she need that for? She could just get some from the infirmary."

Myrtle cackled. "Ah, but the infirmary asks question, they do."

James frowned at Remus, as he appeared to be the man with the answers. "Why would she be trying to hide bruises, mate? And what would that have to do with Snivellus? I'm not doubting you, mate, but it just doesn't make sense."

Sirius watched the proceedings, arms crossed, not saying a word; inside, the chunk of ice he had felt in his gut at Myrtle's first words began to disapate. _Bruise paste. Hardly the stuff of dark magic._

"Doesn't it?" Remus stood up, gesturing at the potion's set lying on the stone floor below him. "Someone's been brewing potions. What do we know about Snape?"

"So you think Snape's brewing healing potions for her?"

Remus shrugged. "It's possible."

"But she's brilliant at potions."

Three heads turned to stare at Peter.

"What?" Remus asked.

Peter flushed "She- She's brilliant at potions. She wouldn't need Snape to help her with something as simple as a bruise paste."

"Simple, eh? Let's see you whip one up, Wormtail!" Sirius nudged the smaller boy playfully, his easy behavior belying the anger he felt inside. _First rage, then relief, the rage again. What a bloody mess. _When was the last time he was this in knots over _anything_ a girl had done? _Never._ Peter flushed ruddily.

Remus began to pace, frowning as he tried to work the problem over in his head. "It has to be something to do with this. I'm convinced. The most obvious answer is usually it." He stopped, turning to Myrtle. "What _exactly_ did they do while they were here?'

Myrtle huffed, irritated. Her mischief was over. As much as she might enjoy causing the occasional bit of strife, she was not a liar. "He was helping her."

"Helping her with what?"

"Disinfecting potion. Didn't know how to brew it, she said."

"And why did she need it?" Remus asked.

Myrtle giggled, wriggling as close to Sirius as she could without passing through him. "All beat up, she was. Had a nasty cut on her back that she couldn't reach."

Sirius stared at the girl, alarmed. "Beat up?" _What in the name of Merlin?_

She nodded, simpering at him. "Oh, yes. Completely black and blue, neck to waist."

"Does this happen often?" Remus asked her quietly.

The phantom student shook her head. "Only when she comes back from holiday. She brews in here at the beginning of every term, unless she stayed here."

"So this happens at home," Sirius frowned. _I had no idea. _

"She _does_ stay here over the holidays," Peter piped up.

Sirius frowned at him, the rage inside him needing someone to lash out at. "You do seem to know quite a bit about this girl. Got a crush, Wormtail?" Peter flushed, but didn't answer him. This anger was a different sort, though - it was self-directed."Let's go, gents. I think we know what we need to."

Donning their respective means of camouflage, the boys made their way back to Gryffindor tower.

"If she really is getting beat up at home, why wouldn't she say anything?" James asked, flopping on his bed.

"I don't know, mate," Remus responded. "Maybe she just never really felt like she _could_, you know? Think about it, how well do we actually know her?"

Sirius sat on his bed, glaring at the floor as he silently removed his shoes and tossed them on the floor.

"Granted we're not the best of friends or anything, but if she was being abused, wouldn't she have told _someone?_" James queried.

"No." The word came out of Sirius' mouth like a shot, and the other boys turned to stare at him. He looked sullenly back at them. "She wouldn't have said anything."

"How do you know?" Remus asked, as gently as he could. They all knew Sirius' home life was far from pleasant.

"It's not -" he swallowed roughly, a rare display of discomfort from the usually self-assured boy. "It's not something you talk about freely. Not if you have the least bit of pride. And quiet and mousy as she may come off, she's a Gryffindor. If she's suffering, she'll have kept it to herself."

Remus nodded. Abused, he was not, but he knew a bit about suffering nonetheless. "I agree. And it would certainly explain some of her oddities, wouldn't it?"

"Like that business of running off as soon as we asked about her family."

"Exactly that." _But it doesn't explain what she knows of Death Eaters. _

_ Doesn't it? _A nasty voice in the back of his mind seemed to ask. _Look in the mirror, Black. A Gryffindor oddly acquainted with Death Eaters. Now, doesn't _that_ sound familiar?_

"But why Snape?" James asked.

Oddly enough, it was Peter who seemed to have the answer for this. "Well, they're comrades of a sort, aren't they?"

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"Well think about it. We already know Snape's always on the train before anybody else. And if you think about it, Rose is too. You never see her board it, yet somehow she's always there, so she must get there really early. They'd see each other, and know that they were both there by themselves. Nobody sees either of them off, or we'd have seen it." James nodded thoughtfully, and Peter rushed on, pleased to have the other's ear for once. "Plus, if you delve a little deeper, you don't get a charming, winsome personality like Snape's with a happy home life. And we already know he has no friends.

"So if you were Ruiz, and yes, you have friends, but no, they don't know your deepest darkest secret, and you don't _want_ them to know, so you can't exactly ask them for help even if you need it, and you have some sort of. . . mutual respect and acknowledgment of the fact that you're in similar situations with another person, and you know he's not going to spread in around because he's in the same boat - well, you can kind of see why she would have gone to him and not, say, Lily, even though she's equally brilliant at potions as Snape."

"You know, when you put it that way, Wormtail, I suppose it _does_ sort of make sense," James responded.

_I'm in a similar boat_, Sirius thought. _She could have turned to me. _A new thought entered his mind, and his head jerked up in horror. "I should have seen it."

"Padfoot, you can't - "

"No mate, when I went down to breakfast this morning, she was up early. She said she couldn't sleep." His mouth twisted bitterly. "Well, it _is _hard to sleep when you've had the crap beat out of you. And she was stiff. Her gait was off. And then, when I put my arm over her shoulder, she flinched. I thought it was just that she thought I was flirting, but it seemed a bit much even for that. She shrugged uneasily under the weight of my arm, and was as eager as can be to get me away from her."

His friends exchanged uneasy glances.

"Padfoot - "

"I'll see you in the morning." And with that, he shut the curtains around his bed shut with a yank.

*~O~*

The next morning, Rose woke up early. Showering and getting ready as quickly as she could, she quickly donned her school robes and made her way down to the lavatory. _My paste should be ready_. Checking the color, she smiled happily. _Perfect_. Shucking off her robes, she scooped it straight out of the cauldron and began rubbing the paste into her stiff and aching back.

_Much better_. The cooling sensation immediately went to work, and she rolled her shoulders in relief. Warmth followed a moment later, the feeling seeping down into even her bones. The warmth grew almost alarmingly, until the sensation finally just vanished. Knowing that meant that the potion had done its work, she began shrugging back into her uniform. Covering the cauldron, locking the lid, and shrinking it down, she placed it carefully in her bag and made her way down to the Great Hall. _Breakfast should be starting in a moment._

No sooner had she sat down than a familiar black-haired boy sat across from her.

"Early riser again today, eh Ruiz?" he asked nonchalantly, grey eyes watchful as they seemed to be lately.

She shrugged and began to pour herself some orange juice, more confident now that she was no longer in pain. "Evidently so."

"Your accent isn't as thick this morning as it was yesterday," he told her, beginning to load his plate. "Toast?"

"No, thank you," she said, stabbing some sausage with a fork. "I'm not as tired, I guess," She laughed as Sirius yawned. "Not a morning person?"

"Not really, no."

"Ah, the price one pays to be famous."

"I'm not sure I would say I'm quite. . . famous, yet."

She put down her orange juice, spluttering and laughing as he smirked. "Yet?"

"With this face? It's only a matter of time."

"Not at all full of yourself, are you?"

He shrugged. "I just like to think I'm honest with myself."

She snorted. "Or big-headed."

He put his hand to his chest, feigning hurt. "Don't you dare say that about my head! It's the perfect size for my body!"

The black-haired girl grinned. "Whatever you say, Black."

As she dug into her food, she became increasingly aware of the fact that Black appeared to be watching her. Not blatantly, but rather surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, you two!" Louise walked toward them and sat down beside Rose, grinning at her and tossing Sirius a wink.

"Hey yourself, Louise," he said, smirking saucily at the pretty brunette. "Doing well?"_ And just like that, I vanish, _Rose thought uncharitably.

"Can't complain," Louise replied. "Although I did have a spectacularly good train ride the other day. How about you?"

Sirius' reply went in one ear and out the other, his flirtatious tone drifting over her head as Rose frowned. _I had forgotten they snogged on the trip up. _She wasn't sure what to think about this. Sirius' conquests were all soon over, and she wasn't particularly sure that she wanted Louise to meet that same fate. _He's a dog,_ she thought waspishly. _Probably snogged at least five other girls on the same trip._

Then again, why wouldn't he be sweet on Louise? Studying her friend, she could see the appeal. Louise was very pretty, her brown hair warmed by a shade of red that complimented her blue eyes. Full lips that were quick to both smile and pout graced her face, and a light flush seemed to always sit upon her cheeks. Her petite stature only served to reinforce her feminine graces, and her small frame made her appear more delicate than even Charlotte.

She wasn't bitter. She knew the differences between herself and girls like Louise. And Louise was as sweet as they come - she did love her. _It just is what it is_.

With a sigh, she excused herself from the table, the flirty banter making her feel awkward. Making her way back to the common room, she smiled slightly to herself. _At least someone's having good luck in the man department._ Her father would kill her if he ever found out she dated anyone, but she was firmly of the opinion that what her father didn't know wouldn't hurt him. _Or, more importantly, me._

_ Maybe they'll end up going to the ball together, _she thought. At Hogwarts, a Christmas Ball was held every other year, and this year was its turn. It was also the first year they would be permitted to go, being fifth years, and as such, all the girls were terribly excited_.They would look very good together. Assuming they last that long_. After all, it was only September, and Christmas was a fair few months away.

She made it just to the portrait when Lily and Charlotte stumbled out, looking bleary-eyed and sleepy.

"Hey, Rose," Lily greeted sleepily.

"Morning," she returned dryly.

"Coming down to breakfast?"

"No, _gracias. _I've just been."

"Ok," the redhead returned, "see you in arithmancy." Charlotte, clearly too asleep still to even be upright, just waved in her general direction as the two girls left for the Great Hall. Giggling, Rose stepped into the common room. The first few days of being back at Hogwarts had passed without trouble, and though it was her OWL year, she was looking forward to getting back into the swing of school. Sleepy dormmates, overly flirtatious Sirius, James getting on Lily's nerves, even odd Snape - it was all a part of what made Hogwarts home to her.

*~O~*

Sirius took a bite as Louise giggled - _she really does have a nice laugh, _he thought absently - but his thoughts were, once again, on the Spanish witch currently walking away from them. He felt a strange. . . protectiveness over the girl now. He didn't know exactly how she was tied up in Death Eater business, but he statements at dinner had been too pointed and sure to leave him any room to doubt that she was. And after all, he knew first hand how being involved in such matters tended to leave one with bruises. _Beatings are just part of the life, _he though bitterly.


	4. The Trip To Hogsmeade

Saturday morning found Rose in the library, doing research for her Arithmancy homework. As she sat at the table, reading _Numbers &amp; The Magic Behind Them_, a gently cleared throat interrupted her. Startled, she looked up.

"Oh, hello, Remus," she greeted with a smile.

"Hi," he responded. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Oh, no," she said, gesturing toward the empty chair across from her, "Please, go ahead."

The sandy boy smiled in apparent relief and sat down across from her, and she returned to her studies. As far as the Marauders went, Remus was the only one she was on a first-name basis with, probably owing to the fact that he was the kindest and gentlest of all of them. Glancing at him, she found him staring at her.

"What?" she asked the sandy-haired boy, "There is something on my face?"

"No," Remus responded softly, fidgeting.

"Remus, what is it?" _Why is he staring at me with such sad eyes?_

When the blue-eyed boy responded, his voice was even softer. "I couldn't help but notice. . . You- your limp is gone."

Rosalinda froze. _No._ "I don't know what you mean," she told him, beginning to shut her book in preparation to flee.

"Rose, you don't have to hide it. I'm not going to judge you," he gazed at her earnestly, blue eyes sorrowful. "I - I know what it's like to have a secret, to worry about what people think. You can trust me. I want you to know that."

Rose held his gaze, relaxing infinitesimally - and for a moment, Remus thought that he had gotten through to her. Then her brown eyes snapped cold, and she rose. "I don't have any secrets, Lupin." Thinking back to what he had said about his own secrets, her gaze softened slightly, and she swept out of the library.

As she made her way to the Great Hall for lunch, she found herself feeling a bit guilty. _Perhaps I came off a bit too strong_, she thought. _He was only trying to be kind, and I reacted coldly. I haven't called him by his last name since second year._ Grimacing slightly, she wondered what to do. She didn't want to toss aside her friendship with Remus - he was a kind, gentle boy, especially when compared to the buffoons he kept as friends, and she did genuinely like him.

Going to the owlery, she pulled out a spare bit of parchment, scribbled something on it, attached it to the bird's leg, and sent it off.

Setting off to go eat lunch, she smiled to herself. _Perhaps that will do the trick._

"Rose!"

Turning, she greeted Lily and Louise with a smile. "Finally awake, are we?"

Louise grinned. "_I've_ been awake hours, I'll have you know," she told the Spanish witch, "but Mrs. Sleepyhead over here can't imagine a Saturday that actually includes the first half of the day."

Rose giggled, and Lily tossed her hair over her shoulder haughtily, though she was smiling. "We can't all be naturally gorgeous. _Some_ of us need our beauty sleep."

Rose snorted. "Oh, please, Lily. You're the least in need of beauty sleep girl I've ever met."

"Well what about you?" Lily said as they reached the door to the Great Hall. "You've grown into a stunner over the summer - don't think I haven't noticed!"

Whatever Rose was about to respond was cut off by a certain grey-eyed boy as he slung a flirtatious arm around Louise. "Morning, loves," he said, grinning as per usual.

Louise smiled back up at him, prompting Lily to look at Rose with raised eyebrows. _What is that about?_

"Going to sit with us?" Sirius asked Louise, who giggled and nodded in reply.

_Oh, no, _Rose thought, as the group made their way over to where the rest of the Marauders sat, already waiting.

Sitting down across from James so that Lily wouldn't have to, she purposely avoided Remus' gaze.

"Good morning, my beautiful Lilyflower," James greeted, loftily as ever.

"Shut it, Potter," she snarled back. _Yikes, more aggressive than usual. Must still be half asleep._ Rose's suspicion was confirmed a moment later when the redhead moaned, "What's a girl got to do to get some coffee around here?"

James looked ready to respond with what would no doubt be a very seedy, sleazy answer, but Remus shook his head at his friend, who snapped his mouth shut. No sooner had this happened then a large, steaming mug of coffee appeared in front of Lily, who looked at it in sleepy, confused happiness before picking it up and burying her face in it.

"So, mate, have any plans about that Halloween party yet?" Sirius asked James, his mouth full.

"Probably just in the common room," the boy in question responded.

"Costumes?"

"Of course!"

This was quite funny, really, when you considered that a few years back, being both purebloods, the boys had no idea that Halloween in the Muggle World consisted of dressing up in outlandish costumes and going on the search for candy. When they were informed of this, they found the practice hilarious in all the right ways and took to it like a fish took to water. As such, every year they had taken to throwing huge Halloween parties in the Gryffindor common room, where all manner of good-natured debauchery took place.

An owl swooped down to land in front of Remus, holding out its leg as it stared at him with regal eyes.

"Got a letter, Moony?"

"That's strange, normally post comes in the morning," Lily said, frowning.

Shrugging, Remus removed the letter, and the owl took off again as James stared after it. "That was a school owl," he said, proving that Lily wasn't the only one capable of critical thought.

Rose stared steadfastly at her plate as he opened it. Studying it carefully for a moment, a small smile appeared on his face. and he stuffed it into his pocket. A feeling of relief spread through Rose, and she met Remus' eye, a small crooked smile on her face. He nodded at her, and the others stared between the two, stares of blatant confusion on their faces.

Rose flushed and went back to her lunch. "So, Louise, what were you planning on being this year for Halloween?" she asked, hoping to distract the group.

Louise shrugged, "Not sure yet, but we'll have to go shopping the first Hogsmeade weekend," she smiled. Hogsmeade weekend trips were always the highlight of the school year, although this year that title was likely to go to the Christmas ball.

"When is it?" Rose asked Lily, who as a prefect, was responsible for organizing the trips.

"Not for a couple weeks," the redhead responded. "We wanted to give everyone a chance to get settled in first."

"Lily - " James started, no doubt planning on getting a jump on asking Lily to accompany him to Hogsmeade.

Lily, too, seemed to suspect this was his plan, for she cut him off grimly, steadfastly ignoring him. "Do you think you'll end up going with anyone, Rose?"

Rose shrugged, hiding her amused smile at the crestfallen look on James' face. "Not really, no."

"Ah, no one's caught your eye yet, Ruiz?" Sirius asked teasingly.

"No, I've been too busy - what was the phrase you used, Lily? - too busy 'getting settled in'."

"I'm sure someone will ask you," Remus said reassuringly.

"They had better not!" Louise interjected hotly. "We've got to go shopping!"

"But the party's not for over a month!" Peter replied, looking a bit confused. Rose giggled. _Poor boy. He just doesn't understand the ways of women._

"Exactly!" The brunette snapped back. "We've got just enough time to get everything perfect!"

Lily nodded thoughtfully. "It wouldn't be a bad idea for us to pop into Gladrags and see what they have in the way of dresses for the ball, either."

Rose stared at her. "The ball isn't until Christmas, Lils."

Lily stared back, as if what she had proposed was the most natural thing in the world. "I know."

"It's only September!"

"Lily's right," Louise told her. "We've got to start getting some kind of idea as to how we want to look. There's color, style, makeup, hair, and shoes to consider!"

Rose groaned and dropped her head dramatically on the table in front of her, her long her falling forward to cover her face, prompting the other two girls to giggle.

"I swear, Rose, you are the least girly girl I've ever met." Louise said.

"That's not _quite_ true," Lily replied, "she does wear makeup now."

"Which I thoroughly blame you two for." Rose responded, snarling playfully.

"Oh, dear, you should be thanking us!" Charlotte interjected as she sat down next to Lily. "After all, look how gorgeous you are!" She grinned. "Boys, isn't she gorgeous?"

The four boys at the table looked distinctly uncomfortable, and Rose hastened to change the subject. "Where have you been, Charlotte? You're rather later than usual."

Charlotte flushed and mumbled something under her breath.

"What?" Lily asked. "Didn't catch that."

Charlotte huffed and said more loudly, "I was with Barnabus Lott."

Seven pairs of eyes stared at her blankly, before the three girls burst into squeals, congratulating her. Barnabus Lott, despite having quite the unfortunate name, was widely considered to be one of the best looking boys in the school - giving even the Marauders a run for their money. A year older than them, he was a tall boy, built from his years on the Ravenclaw quidditch team, with dark brown hair that brought out a startlingly blue pair of eyes.

"When did that happen?"

"Just this morning," she said, happily tearing into a roll. "He approached me out by the lake, and asked me if I would like to go to Hogsmeade with him, when we finally did start going."

Louise squeaked shrilly. "But that's so far off!"

Charlotte nodded. "I know. That what I told him. I said why wait? We could start off with a walk around the grounds." She grinned devilishly. "Only we didn't end up doing much walking, if you catch my drift."

"That means we'll be one down for our shopping trip," Louise frowned.

"Oh, I'm sure I can get some time away," Charlotte said, shrugging.

Lunch came to an end amidst many sighs of envy over Charlotte's good luck, and as the weeks passed she and Barnabus became quite the couple, only surpassed by Sirius and Louise. September drew on, and although Rose was aware of the strange attention the Marauders paid her, she mentally shrugged. If they, like Lily, suspected anything, they were keeping it to themselves - which was just how she liked it.

She began brewing whenever she had a moment, and her side business of selling joke potions began to take off - just as well, as she would need money to both buy a Halloween costume _and _a dress for the ball.

In mid September, it was time for the Hogsmeade trip. Louise went with Sirius and Charlotte accompanied Barnabus, leaving Lily and Rose mostly on their own. Lily had, of course, been asked multiple time by James, but had turned him down each time.

"I don't understand how you're not freezing!" Lily complained to Rose, who just shrugged in response.

"Don't be silly, _mami_. I'm a witch - I have warming charms to keep me perfectly toasty." This, unfortunately, was a blatant lie. While her school robes might have been acceptable, when she donned her own personal clothing, it became obvious that her wardrobe was somewhat lacking. It wasn't that her family didn't have enough money to buy good clothing - far from it. While they were definitely still middle class, her father lived comfortably on the money he made from the small cafe the family owned - he just didn't care enough to go shopping with her to buy new clothing, and was far too tight-fisted and stingy to just give her money so she could do it herself. And while she did make tips from working in said cafe, most of it went toward school supplies and new school robes (since they got worn the most anyway), and the small remainder was spent on the potion's ingredients she used in her joke products.

There was also the fact that he had begun giving his money in support to the dark wizards.

In past years, it hadn't really been a problem - she had a few items of clothing from each year and pooled them until she had a fairly decent wardrobe, but this year, as Lily said, she had grown. _In a multitude of places, _she thought, glancing down at her chest with a grimace. The end result was that the only clothing she had was what her father had been forced to buy her after her old things stopped fitting - and it might work in Spain, but was hardly fit for fall in Scotland. Her current jeans and long-sleeved shirt left much to be desired in terms of warmth, and the wind cut straight through them. In acknowledgement of this, she had donned her school robe, but even that didn't help much.

The only item on her body really worth something was her boots - genuine leather harness boots, they were bought for her mother before she died when she was much younger, and it was fortunate that her feet had remained much the same size. Scuffed and worn they may now be, they were possibly her favorite thing that she owned.

"Are you really wearing a _school robe?"_ Sirius asked incredulously, walked side by side with his arm over Louise.

"Yes," Rose huffed.

"But - "

"Oh look, the village!" Louise interrupted. Having lived with her for the past five years, she was more than aware of the state of Rose's wardrobe, and knew her proud Spanish friend would not appreciate having her face rubbed in it.

Louise and Charlotte dragged their respective boyfriends off to Madam Puddifoot's, having planned a double date. The two remaining friends snickered as the boys grumbled but acquiesced.

Book lovers both, Lily and Rose spent over an hour in Tomes and Scrolls, after which they wandered into Honeydukes. As per usual, Rose didn't buy anything, but Lily bought extra, and she always shared. Realizing that it was time to meet Louise and Charlotte in The Three Broomsticks as they had agreed, they set off in that direction.

"Looks like we're here early," Lily said, craning her head around in search of the couples and not seeing them. "Why don't you go find us a table, and I'll get a couple of butterbeers."

She nodded, and the girls went their separate ways. Fortunately, finding a table wasn't too hard, and she sat in a rather cozy one set off in a corner. Turning, she found Lily, ready to wave if the redhead needed help finding her.

Lily, however, was otherwise engaged. She stood, leaning against the bar casually, the two butterbeers in her hand, talking to an incredibly handsome bloke that Rose believed to be from Hufflepuff.

"All by yourself?" Turning, she saw Louise grinning at her, with Sirius right behind her. The two sat down, and Rose shook her head.

"Lily's just getting some drinks," she told them, just as Charlotte came over with Barnabus.

"Sounds like a good idea," Barnabus said, shedding his coat and draping it across the back of his chair. "Butterbeer, Charlotte?" When she nodded, the Ravenclaw leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips, and set off for the bar.

"I believe that's my cue as well," Sirius said dryly. "Same, Louise?"

"Yes, thanks," the petite girl responded, and Sirius leaned down and gave her a kiss - it wasn't a quick kiss, as Barnabus' had been, but rather a lingering and deep one that made the girls watching uncomfortable and lasted until the whole pub began hooting and whistling at them.

Sirius straightened, bowed toward the crowd, and sauntered off, a pep in his step.

"I take it that's going well, then?" Charlotte said, tone wry.

"As well as can be," Louise replied with a grin, taking a compact out of her bag and fixing her lipgloss. "We don't talk much, but then who dates Sirius for the conversation?"

"So you mostly snog, I take it," Rose said, and Louise smiled mischeviously.

"And it is a _great_ snog, let me tell you."

"Who's a great snog?" Lily asked, settling in and placing a butterbeer in front of Rose.

"Sirius," she intoned as the redhead sat beside her. "Or possibly that bloke you were chatting with," Louise continued, leaning in as if sharing a secret. "Tell us."

"Abram Ackerly, Hufflepuff. Fifth year, like us," she replied.

"I knew he was Hufflepuff," Rose said triumphantly. Taking a sip of her butterbeer, she just about melted in satisfaction. There was nothing better on a cold day than a warm butterbeer. The warmth of it just seemed to seep into your bones, and warming charms could really only do so much.

"He's quite handsome, isn't he?" Louise said, her head swiveling to stare at him.

"Aw, thanks, dove," Sirius interjected, sitting down with a smirk. "I appreciate it, but really, you don't have to remind me every five seconds."

Louise rolled her eyes. "Whatever you think, Sirius."

Sirius pressed his hand to his chest, feigning hurt.

"What's the plan, then, girls?"

"The plan for _us_ is to go shopping in Gladrags. I don't know what the plan for you boys is," Louise teased.

Sirius huffed in indignation, "And after I bought you butterbeers, too!"

Charlotte laughed, "Excuse me, but Barnabus bought _my_ butterbeer, and Lily bought Rose's, so you can't argue that."

Cocking his head to the side, Sirius shrugged. "True, although Ruiz over there looks like she's in need of another one." The girl in question flushed and hunched her shoulders, her hands still wrapped around the empty mug, uncomfortable to be the sudden center of attention. "What do you say, Ruiz? If I buy you a butterbeer, you'll take my side, right?"

A full butterbeer appeared in front of her suddenly, and Remus sat down. "Not likely, Sirius," he told his dark haired friend, taking a sip of his own drink.

"Moony, you stole my comrade! My compatriot!" he whined

Remus laughed and shook his head, patting Rose on the back. "Drink up, Rose. You look like you could use it."

Muttering her thanks, she did as Remus requested.

In the end, the ladies went to Gladrags, and the boys ended up joining James and Peter at Zonko's. They may have gone there to discuss costumes, but naturally, the conversation ended up drifting toward the upcoming ball.

"Oooh, look at this!" Louise gasped, holding up a pale yellow frock.

"That would look great on you, Louise," Rose told her. "Here, what do you think?" she asked, holding up a ball gown with a full tulle skirt.

"Very pretty," Charlotte said, "though how you'll dance in it I just don't know."

Rose giggled. "Well, it's very likely I won't even have a date, so I daresay you won't have to worry about that."

Lily gasped. "Don't say that! You'll find someone. Why on earth wouldn't you?"

"Lils, I'm not exactly. . ."

Lily put her arms on her hips, green eyes flashing. "Not exactly what?" She put down the dress she was holding, gripped her dark haired friend's arm, and unceremoniously dragged her over to the mirrors. "Show me, Rose. What exactly is wrong with you? You're gorgeous."

The other two girls came over, supporting the redhead's opinion.

"Look how beautiful your hair is!" Louise said, reaching out to touch a curl. "Do you need to know what I would have to do to get my hair to look like this?"

Rose shrugged. "I just. . . I'm not pretty, not like you guys."

Charlotte shook her head at her friend. "You've got to stop thinking like that. Sure, you may have been awkward, but that was a few years ago. You've grown into a beautiful girl, Rose. Don't kid yourself."

Lily nodded. "Stop selling yourself short. You're gorgeous. Maybe you're a little quiet, but you're kind, and you're smart."

When Rose opened her mouth to disagree, Louise interrupted her. "You're a potions whiz, Rose. Why do you think no one else has the same business going as you do? It's because no one _can._"

Lily nodded again. "You have gorgeous hair, and the best figure." The Spaniard turned to stare at her slender, willowy friend in shock. How she'd wished to look like that, and not what she had.

As if reading her mind, the redhead glared at her. "You're curvy, Rose. Not many of us Brits can claim a figure like that. It's pure, feminine sex appeal, straight and simple."

Charlotte nodded, "And then there's that accent."

Rose's nose wrinkled as if she smelled something foul. "Really, you guys? My _accent?" _

"Yes!" Lily snapped. "You're adorable, okay? Get used to it."

Louise grinned, "And men love accents just as much as we do."

Rose laughed and shook her head. "Can we just get back to looking at dresses? Please?"

Lily looked ready to argue further, but she was preempted when her curly-haired friend quickly strode away from the mirror.

"What do you guys think of this one?" she asked. Gasps and squeal met her all around.

"That's perfect!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"Merlin, that would look incredible on you!" Louise told her, and began shoving both the girl in question and the dress she was holding toward the dressing rooms.

As she resisted, Lily joined in. "You have got to try it on, Rose. We're not giving you a choice!"

Laughing, she gave in and stepped into the dressing room, shucking off her clothes and pulling on the light pink frock.

When she stepped out, a stunned silence greeted her.

"_Merlin_," Lily finally breathed. "You look. . . ." Grabbing her friend, she dragged her over to the mirror once again - and all Rose could do was stare at her own reflection. _Wow. _

The dress was a dusty pink, with a sheer top that covered a bustier underneath, shimmering lines on the bust and sleeves. A sash went around the narrowest part of her waist, complimenting her curves, but the real wonder was the skirt. A smooth underskirt with a slight sheen, almost like silk, was covered by a full sheer fabric, which the underskirt skirt was just visible beneath. The full effect was an incredibly romantic frock. _It looks like a fairy princess dress._

"Quite the gown," a voice drawled, and all four girls turned to face the newcomer - and Rose felt her blood run cold.

_Lucius Malfoy. _She had met him a few times before, each time at her father's behest, and each time he had made her skin crawl. Six years older than her, he was handsome enough, even if that male beauty was of a cold sort - it wasn't his looks; it was that she knew what he _was_. She had met plenty of monsters in human skin - her own father was one. But Malfoy - Malfoy was even worse. She had seen him do unspeakable things, each time with a smile on his cold, handsome face, and a wink at her after. She had seen him do unspeakable things to _her. _

Fighting back a panic attack, she spat his name, all the loathing she felt for the man put into the one word. "_Malfoy_."

He inclined his head, a cold amusement making his eyes glitter menacingly, as if he knew exactly the effect he was having on her. He probably did. The bastard would enjoy every second.

Her friends looked to her, confused. They knew of the man; he had been a seventh year when they had been first, but all they knew was that he was a former Hogwarts student and a Slytherin. This, fortunately, did not stop them from closing ranks with her, and she was brought back from the verge of an anxiety attack by the reminder that her friends were with her.

He inclined his head in greeting. "Quite the gown," he repeated. "For the Christmas ball, I suppose? You should get it. You look just as beautiful as ever." His eyes glittered mockingly, and she fought back the memories -

"_Beautiful as ever, Rosalinda," he murmured, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles, the compliment doing nothing to assuage the fear tying her stomach in knots._

_ "Beautiful as ever, Miss Ruiz," he whispered in her ear, whisking her around the dance floor, her skin crawling at the touch of his hand upon her waist._

_ "Beautiful as ever, half-blood," he panted, his hands holding her wrists above her head, her father watching on, sweat dripping from his skin to hers as he moved against her, inside -_

_ No. _Bringing herself forcibly back to the present, she said nothing, only glared at him. The soft jingle of the bell on the door made her friends glance in that direction - not her, though. She could do nothing, trapped in his gaze, all her instincts screaming that if she took her eyes off the enemy, something terrible would happen.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she heard Sirius' voice ask.

*~O~*

When he had seen Malfoy enter Gladrags after the girls, there had been no option but to follow. The others may not know much about the man, but Sirius was well enough acquainted to know that there was _no way_ he was letting the Death Eater around them. Especially not alone.

He may have been only a fifth year, but he was exceptionally talented in dueling - and saying so was not tooting his own horn or an exaggeration of any sort. Besides natural talent, he had also been taught a number of nasty curses and hexes; part of the Black family repertoire. He had actually dueled Malfoy once before, in a sporting, friendly match. Malfoy had beaten him, but barely. That had been a year ago. Now, he knew, he was a match for the older wizard. With James and Remus by his side, both equally talented, he knew it would take them no time at all to have the man on the run.

Looking at the fear on Rose's face as she stared at the man in question, unable to look away, though, he thought that perhaps he had been too late to protect them. _No._ She looked like a rabbit ready to bolt. _Sweet Circe, Rose, what have you seen?_ Whatever her involvement in Death Eater business may have been, nothing assured him quite as surely right then and there as the look on her face that it had not been voluntary. He could only shudder as he remembered her words at dinner a few weeks ago - _"Muggle women are beneath them. They can do whatever they want to them without judgment from their comrades. They think the same thing about half-bloods." _

_ Shite._ Time to end this, and end this now. He didn't like the look on her face. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

The blonde wizard posing as a gentleman responded to Sirius' question, though he never took his eyes off the Spanish witch in front of him. "Business meeting. I was going to head to the post to mail a letter, but running across your friends here gave me the chance to deliver it in person." He inclined his head. "Just in time, too. I hate to think of the disappointment that would have befallen me had I missed so lovely a sight as Miss Ruiz in this dress."

Very subtly, he saw Rose begin to tremble. Malfoy needed to be gone _yesterday_. Unfortunately, the older man didn't seem to be in much of a hurry. If anything, the girl's reaction only seemed to encourage him."You should buy it, Miss Ruiz," he said, and his tone could have been mistaken for gentle were it not for the look in his eyes. "Or perhaps you don't have the means? I know how your father is." He tilted his head. "Perhaps you would allow me?"

Sirius took a step closer to Rose. _"I know how your father is"? Merlin, what is going on?_ "That's enough, Malfoy. If she needs someone to lend her money, there are eight people in this room who would be more than happy to do so. Deliver your letter and be on your way."

The blonde smirked. "Of course. I am a busy man, after all." Pulling a missive out of his cloak, he held it out toward the girl in the pink dress.

She stared at him, seeming unwilling to take it. He reached out, as if to take her hand to place the letter in it, and she fairly jumped a foot back, nearly trodding on Charlotte. Raising a trembling hand, she reached out to grasp the letter, her hand as far from touching his as it could possibly be.

Quick as a snake, his hand released the letter and grabbed her wrist, yanking her a foot toward him.

*~O~*

His yank brought her toward him before she planted her feet and fought the momentum. Fighting the urge to shudder at the heat of his hand burning into her wrist, she tried to push away nausea as he raised his other hand to push her hair back from her face.

"You do look lovely right now, half-blood," he whispered, fingers caressing her jaw, so quietly she doubted any of the others in the room would hear him. "What memories it brings back. . ."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sirius draw his wand. James and Remus followed suit. "That's enough, Malfoy," he repeated. "You've delivered your letter. Time to go." The tone of his voice promised violence.

Malfoy released her, so suddenly she stumbled. "I do believe you're correct, Black," he responded, still holding the curly-haired girl with his gaze, suddenly as calm as if her were requesting an afternoon tea. "I've accomplished what I came here to do." With that, he turned away, releasing Rose from his gaze, and she visibly sagged in relief, her hand going to her stomach to steady herself. Turning to the shopkeeper, he handed the plump witch a handful of coins. "For the dress. With my compliments." Looking as if she'd rather spit rather that accept his money, she stood stock still, her assistant finally stepping forward to take them.

He swept from the room in a whirl of cold fall air.

Silence followed his departure, before Sirius turned to stare hard at her. "We need to talk."

Hugging herself, she nodded. What else could she expect? "Not here. The common room."

He nodded in agreement and put his wand away, stepping back with crossed arms, apparently staying to play bodyguard.

Turning back to the dressing room, she stripped faster than she ever had before, the once beloved dress suddenly seeming to burn her skin. How _dare_ he?

_He's evil. A Death Eater, _her mind answered her, _This is what they do. Take lovely things, and ruin them._

An even quieter voice in the back of her mind, the one she didn't like to listen to, whispered, _Like he ruined _you.

In the end, none of the other girls bought a dress, and Rose was left to carry the one Malfoy had purchased.

The boy from the Three Broomsticks had found them, and was chatting up Lily, oblivious to the mood of the group and the death glares he was receiving from James.

Unfortunately, as both Louise and Charlotte were preoccupied with their own boyfriends, this left Rose on her own, shivering in the bitter breeze. The crunch of snow behind her was her only warning before a coat settled around her shoulders, and she looked up into the laughing eyes of Remus.

"You look like you need it more than I do."

"But. . . Aren't you cold?" she asked him, frowning.

"Nah," he said, "I run warm at the best of times, to be honest with you."

"Oh. Well thank you, then."

"You're welcome."

She stared after him as he ran to catch up with James and Peter.

A hand touched her elbow, and she looked up into the steady, serious gaze of Sirius, who gently took the dress from her. Glancing back, she saw Louise was now chatting quietly with Charlotte. "You're dragging it." A glance down confirmed that he was right; the bottom of the bag was soaked from snow. "As much as I hate the bloke, Malfoy was right. It's a great dress, and you look beautiful in it." When she looked at him in shock, he smiled grimly and touched her shoulder gently. "Don't let him ruin something that could be good, Rose. It's what he wants."

Hooking a finger into the top of the hanger and letting the bag hang down his back, he set off to follow the other boys. _He called me by my first name._ She didn't know what it meant, but she could only guess that it wasn't good.


	5. The Past Revealed

Once back in the dormitory, they group parted ways to put away their purchases with the agreement to meet back in the common room.

Descending the steps, Rosalinda Maria Ruiz felt a sense of doom coming over her; but stronger than that, a sense of freedom. _All of these years of secrecy, of lying._ All it had taken was one encounter with a Death Eater in a dress shop to undo them. _Perhaps I should thank him?_ she thought uncharitably.

Downstairs, the rest awaited her. Louise opened her mouth, but she shook her head. "Not here. Someplace more private."

Rising, Sirius nodded. "She's right. Too many ears. We can go up to our dorm." With that, the eight Gryffindors made their way into the boys' dorm.

Looking around, she mused over the decorations, and how different the dorm was from her own. A lot messier, for one. Quidditch posters decorated the walls, and a model muggle motorcycle stood on one nightstand.

Settling on the bed next to it, Sirius gestured for her to take a seat. Remus dragged up a chair for her before sitting down next to him.

With a sigh, she launched into her story.

"My father is not a good man. He is not kind, and is often cruel, but I did not think him evil until recently. He -" She shook her head. "No. I must start farther back than that.

"I am a half-blood, as you all know. My father is a wizard, a pure blood, from an old Spanish family. My mother was a muggle." She sighed, toying with a loose thread on the seat cushion."Old Spanish pureblood families are much the same as English ones, I think." She looked to Sirius, who nodded confirmation. "Dalliances with muggle women are accepted, if not a part of life. It is as I said before; muggles are beneath them. They can do what they want with them.

"My father engaged in one such dalliance with my mother, the first Rosalinda Ruiz," she smiled slightly. "It is custom to name the firstborn daughter after the mother. The same goes for sons.

"The problem with such affairs, though, is that muggles do not have the same types of contraception as wizards, and what contraception they do have is much less reliable. At some point, she became pregnant.

"Normally, the response is to kill the woman, ridding oneself of any possible trouble." Lily gasped, and Rose smiled, a bitter twist of her lips. "I know. It is awful business, to be sure. My father, however, refused. I don't know why; when I was younger, I liked to imagine that perhaps it was because he loved her, but I think it more likely that he considered her his possession. I know they never married and he never treated her very well, but I think his arrogance, or perhaps obsession with her, was so strong that he refused to do it. He was cast out, and had to go live in the muggle world.

"He blamed her, of course. And me. He hated the muggle world, hated the daily reminder of what he had lost. Year by year, his temper grew worse. I think my mother knew what was coming. She would look at me, sometimes, with such sad eyes. '_Mija, amorcita,_' she would tell me, '_you must stay strong, always. Remember me always, and know that your mamá loved you more than anything._' When he killed her in a fit of rage for burning the _escudella_, no one was surprised." Louise made a sad sound, her hand covering her mouth.

"Toward the end of last year, and over the summer, he began trying to earn his way back into the wizarding world. Not the Spanish one; he knew they would never accept him back. Spanish pureblood families have a long memory. No, he heard of the new group of dark wizards in England, and reached out to them.

"I do not know why they have accepted him when his own people would not. I think they are toying with him, using him. I do not think he will ever be Marked, but for now he gives them all the money they need and provides them a reason to visit beautiful Spain. I think it probably also flatters their egos to believe their influence has spread beyond Great Britain." Her mouth twisted bitterly.

"This is how I became acquainted with Lucius Malfoy. He regularly attends the Death Eater parties my father throws. I, too, despite being his half-blood bastard, am forced to attend and be paraded around. '_Que bonita te vez, Rosalinda,'_ my father would say. 'Be good for these men,' he would hiss, and pinch my side if I did not say anything other than, '_Sí, por supuesto, papá.' _And if I tried not to attend. . . well. He and his belt would make sure I did not resist very long."

She looked up briefly and met Lily's sad green-eyed gaze. "I know you have long suspected what my life was like in Spain. Now you know."

"I remember the first night I met Lucius Malfoy. Charming and well mannered as a gentlemen, he was, but I remember something about him seeming. . . off. I don't know how to explain it. He took my hand and kissed my fingers, those blue eyes glittering up at me, and I wanted to scream and run and hide, even though he hadn't said anything other than '_Encantado, Señorita Ruíz_.' My father has never been so happy as he was after that party. 'Rosa, you did it! We are in!" he grabbed me up in a hug and spun me around, even though I had no clue what he was talking about. Lucius began attending every party. The next time, it became clearer. He danced with me the whole night, and no one else even tried to ask. I finally worked up the courage to ask my father what was going on. '_He has claimed you, mija,' _he told me, and my mother's endearment sounded so. . . wrong, coming out of his mouth. He grabbed my face and kissed me on the forehead. 'Thank Merlin that your mother was beautiful, and gave me a beautiful daughter. You have enchanted him._'" _

Her mouth twisted is cold amusement. "Obviously, I did not find this nearly the cause for celebration my father did. Especially not when he nodded in such satisfaction, and told me, '_Sí, Rosalita, _two more parties, I think. One more month, and he will petition me to have you.'"

Sirius made a sound, and the muscle in his jaw ticked, rage on his features, though the others looked at him blankly. She smiled without amusement. "I see you are familiar with the custom."

"Tell me you left before that happened," he whispered, voice hoarse with restrained rage.

She shook her head. "I tried. The results of which, I believe you know."

"Sirius? What are you talking about?" Lily's voice reached out quietly.

He turned his head and spat into a waste basket. "In some of the oldest pureblood families, especially the ones obsessed with the dark arts, there is a custom. A pureblood's bastard is considered less than human, but more like particularly clever pets or a nice possession. If one catches your eye, you can petition the father to _have _them. The length of time varies, based on the agreement you come to. Sometimes just for a night, sometimes for whenever you visit, and sometimes they will go to live with you." He closed his eyes with a grimace, as if fighting back the urge to hit something. "No matter what the length of time, the result is always the same. The petitioner takes the bastard to bed, and nothing - age, gender - _nothing_ can stop it from happening."

Charlotte gasped. and Lily moaned. "Oh, _Rose_."

The curly-haired witch shrugged. "It is not so bad. Eventually, you learn that if you just lay there, it will be over even quicker than if you resist."

"That's not - " she turned to look at Sirius questioningly, and he steeled himself, looking at her resolutely. "That's not how it's supposed to be."

Fighting back a blush, she shrugged. "Maybe not. But that's how it is for me."

The boy sighed, and pushed a hand through his hair, in a gesture eerily reminiscent of James. "Right. First thing's first. Read the letter Malfoy gave you, so we have all the facts, then we figure out how to get you out of this mess." If he spat the blonde wizard's name with a little more loathing than anyone had thought possible, they chose not to mention it.

With a sigh, she pulled the missive out of her pocket, and with trembling hands, tore open the seal. Scanning it, she felt her blood freeze in her veins. She began to read.

"_My dearest half-blood,_

_ I will keep this letter as brief as possible, as I am sure you have studies to attend to._

_ I write to send you the best of news. Your father has been cast out. Unfortunately, he was found to be dallying once more in muggle women, and had gotten the creature in question with child. As I am sure you know, such a mistake might be tolerated once, as it was with yourself, but twice is not acceptable. We are an understanding group, Miss Ruiz, and know that a man may learn from his mistakes. _

_ It grieves me to tell you this, but your father did not appear to do so. All parties involved have been taken care of. _

_ As is the norm in such cases, the traitor's belongings have been divided up amongst us. His assets have all been liquidated, the money divided. As it was known that I have a prior claim on you, it was agreed that you would be mine. _

_ Do not worry yourself overmuch; I have a large manor, and am more than capable of ensuring your needs are met. Needs of _every _kind, I assure you. _

_ I know that your father had certain. . . leanings, in his punishment style. You may rest assured that I do not beat women, no matter what their blood status may be. If punishment is necessary, something far less brutal will have to suit._

_ You will be taken care of in all the best ways befitting someone of your station. Your belongings, what little there were that were acceptable, have been moved to my manor. The rest were burned. I understand that you may need time to grieve the creature that you called father, and to come to terms with your new circumstances, and so I will not request that you come home for the Christmas holiday. Nor will I expect you for the Easter holiday, as I will expect you to be studying for your OWLs. I know you to be a talented witch, Rosalinda, and I expect you to do well. _

_ I will, however expect to see you at the end of term. A servant will be waiting for you at the station._

_ You will not run. You will not hide. I am more than capable of finding you, Miss Ruíz, wherever you may think you are safe, and you will not like the consequences should I do so. Neither, I dare say, will your pretty friends._

_ Best regards,_

_ Luicius Malfoy"_

Handing the note to Lily, she stood. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Rushing to the bathroom, no sooner had she bent over the toilet than she felt hands smoothing back her hair. As she began to retch, she felt a hand rubbing her back, and Sirius' quiet voice murmuring to her.

"It's alright, Rose. We're not going to let anything happen to you."

She straightened, and he summoned a cup and filled it with water, handing it to her to let her rinse her mouth. With a grimace, she turned, and he followed her back into the main bedroom.

To her relief, there was no pity in her friends' eyes, only anger.

"We won't let this happen," Lily told her, green eyes sparking in rage.

Rose settled on the bed next to James, and to her surprise, he put a comforting arm around her. "I don't see how we have a choice. You read the letter. He will find me. He said he could, and I don't think he's lying."

"We can go to McGonagall, to Dumbledore," she responded quickly.

"And what can they do? These are old customs, still written into the laws of the wizarding world. Dumbledore's hands would be tied. The Ministry would oppose him, and he could be arrested if he tried to help me. He could have a war on his hands."

"He already has that," Remus told her quietly. "He _would _help you. He doesn't care about the Ministry."

She nodded. "Perhaps. But that makes it even more likely that he won't be able to do anything. We couldn't have the headmaster of Hogwarts getting arrested, leaving the school and all the students vulnerable."

They could not argue that. "Still, we can't let this happen," Sirius said softly. "I will petition for you myself if I have to."

She smiled slightly at his ready defense of her. "You're not old enough, Sirius. You're what, sixteen?"

He nodded. "In a week."

She shook her head. "Seventeen is the age of majority. You have to be seventeen to challenge Malfoy for me. You know that."

His jaw tightened once more, and he looked away. "I don't like it."

"Neither do I. If we find a solution, I will be the first to jump on board. But until then, it looks like I don't have a choice." She sighed and rubbed her face tiredly. "I always knew it was likely that this would happen. Malfoy is right; my father never had learned from his mistakes. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened."

"Still, we must _try_. We have to at least speak to Dumbledore."

With a sigh, she nodded. "Alright."

He rose, and held out a hand toward her. "Let's go."

"What, now?"

"Yes. Unless you have something better to do?"

She sighed. "No, Black, I don't."

*~O~*

_Back to Black, is it? _Turning, he began issuing orders. "Right. Prongs, you come with us. Moony, Wormtail, you guys stay here with the girls and put those pretty heads into a good hiding place."

As the boys in question nodded, she placed her hand in his and rose from the bed. He had never noticed before how small her hands were. _Merlin, not just her hands, but the rest of her, too. She's tiny_. How had he not noticed before how he towered over her, how her wrists were small enough to be captured by only one of his hands? And Lucius was much the same size as he. He shuddered to think how easy it was for him to subdue her, to - _No. _He would not go down that road. Just knowing it had happened was enough to make him see red.

Stepping aside, he let her pass in front of him, as James stood, grabbing his wand, and the two boys followed her down the stairs.

They walked in silence all the way to Dumbledore's office, and he fought the urge to take her hand and comfort her. If she was surprised that he knew the password, she didn't mention it.

The stairs rose, and the three Gryffindors carefully avoided looking at each other.

"Ah, Sirius, James! And Miss Ruiz! To what do I owe the pleasure?" The old wizard's eyes twinkled up at them from where he stood next to a bookcase, in robes of a stunning periwinkle. "Taffy?"

Sirius stepped forward. "No, professor. I'm afraid we're not here for a social visit. We've recently become aware of some events that we believe need to be brought to your attention."

For a nanosecond, the headmaster's eyes stopped twinkling, and he crossed to his desk, sitting in his magnificent chair. When he spoke, his voice was grave. "Very well."

The black-haired Gryffiindor boy turned to his companion. "The letter, Rose?" he asked softly. Carefully, she took it out and handed it to him, and in turn he stepped forward and placed it on the desk in front of Dumbledore.

The older man read carefully, before lowering the letter with a sigh. Taking off his spectacles to rub the bridge of his nose, he finally spoke. "I see. You are not wrong, Sirius. This is very grave indeed."

James nodded, stepping forward. "We can't let her go back there."

"I do not disagree, Mister Potter, but I do not see what I can reasonably do."

The two boys swallowed roughly; they had hoped that _Dumbledore_, of all people, would have a solution. "There's nothing?" Sirius asked, voice rough.

"No. I could send her into hiding, but she would be hiding for the rest of her life. She would not be able to return to Hogwarts; if she did, Lucius would be well within his rights to come get her. These ideas are still written into our laws. If he wanted to come and drag her from here by her hair, he would be able to." He smiled slightly and Rose. "And somehow, I do not think that never returning to Hogwarts is what you want."

The Spanish girl hugged herself, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. She shook her head. "Hogwarts is my home."

Sirius leaned forward, bracing himself on the back of her chair. "Then we must change the law."

Dumbledore nodded. "An astute conclusion, Sirius. I agree. But it would not be an immediate solution. Such things can take years." He looked at the boy in question. "I take it you have thought about challenging Lucius' claim?"

Sirius nodded. "Of course."

"Good. I recommend that you do so. It will have to wait until you are seventeen, of course, but it is the most immediate solution available to us. Your birthday is in the fall, unless I am mistaken?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. Lucius has only requested that she return for the summer. Nine weeks. When she returns to school, she will be out of his grasp once more, and as soon as you turn seventeen, I will grant you permission to challenge him for her." The periwinkle-wearing wizard leaned forward, eyes intent on Sirius'. "I will personally train you to see to it that you win this duel, Mister Black, if that is what it takes."

He swallowed. "Yes, sir."

James looked between the two. "So that's it? We're just going to have to let her go?"

Dumbledore sighed and sat back. "I'm afraid so, Mister Potter." Taking off his half-moon glasses, he rubbed them with the edge of his sleeve. "We must look at the bright side. This is actually providing us an opportunity that we would not have otherwise had."

"W- what?" Rose's voice quietly entered the stunned silence.

The headmaster smiled kindly at her, and with dawning horror, Sirius realized for the first time that it didn't quite reach his eyes. "We are in a war, Miss Ruiz, and we know next to nothing about the enemy's plans. We have long needed a man on the inside."

"So you want me to. . . be a spy?"

"Just so, Miss Ruiz. It could be dangerous for you, if you are caught - " _Dangerous!_ Sirius thought, anger beginning to take hold once more, _They would kill her! - _"so I will not force you to. It is your choice. But know that you would be doing the cause a great service."

She hesitated, and Sirius hoped for a second that she would have the sense to turn him down.

Then she nodded. "Yes. I'll do it. If I'm going to be locked up with the monsters anyway, then I might as well do something _useful."_

"Rose - if they catch you -" he began.

She met his gaze with defiant eyes. "I know, Sirius. Believe me, I do. But I want to do this. I _need_ to do this. I'm not going to just sit in that house, being a victim, when I could be some help."

"To _the cause_," he said bitterly.

"Yes."

A hand rested on his shoulder. "Easy, mate," Prongs told him. "It's what you would do, too." "But - "

"You can't protect the world, Padfoot," he told him quietly, turning to face the headmaster. "Thank you for your time, professor."

"Of course. We will be seeing each other often in the months to come, I think."

*~O~*

Surprisingly, on the way back, Rose felt stronger than she had in a while. She had chosen to fight, and had the entirety of the Gryffindor fifth-years on her side. That Sirius would offer to challenge Lucius for her. . . well. _And to think, just a few weeks ago, I would have doubted he even knew my name!_

As they reached the common room, she bid her adieus to the boys. "You guys can give the news to the others. I'm going to go to bed."

The two boys nodded, but a hand clasping her own made her turn back and she found herself facing the solemn grey eyes of Sirius Black. "It will be alright, Ruiz," he told her, "We won't leave you there to rot."

She nodded, placing a light hand on his shoulder. Standing on the stairs as she was, she was almost as tall as him. "I know, Black."


End file.
